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Home Radio is Back Home
September 30, 2017 97.9 Home Radio (FB) It’s been 3 months since 97.9 Home Radio went back to its original format. On the morning of the last day of June, Home Radio abruptly axed its Top 40 format and went back to its original Easy Listening format and mainstream AC mixed with OPM. Management realized that the station would sell better with its original format. During its first few days, its playlist shifted between mainstream AC and Variety Hits and it even had 60s in it. However, over the succeeding days, it finally settled on with Soft AC blended with OPM. Come the 2nd week of July, there were some changes. They uploaded Home Radio’s new logo and deleted the posts from its last 4 months, including the last one which was somewhat bombarded by Christian Maloles. THE ORIGINAL HOME Home Radio’s Easy Listening format isn’t the same as the one before. The original one aired more on the new stuff and a little of the old stuff. Hence, its format was current-leaning Soft AC. And every Sunday, it took a break from Easy Listening and aired a variety hits-oriented program (similar to RJFM) called VHS: Variety Hits Sunday. Initially, it was automated, with Jackie serving as the station’s iconic voice-over. A lot of its former stingers, especially the ones used in VHS, were unusual for a Soft AC station. Around 2009, they recruited female DJs, following the less talk, more music rule. Soon, they created a weekly countdown called Easy 10. THE NEW HOME The new one now focuses more on the old stuff and the new ones, this station plays some good mix of oldies and hot hits blended with OPM, which is the usual programming for Soft AC stations. And every Sunday, it plays the golden age of easy listening music from the 70s and 80s entitled Solid Gold Sunday. It kinda reminds me of WRock’s Friday Classics. It also had a weekly countdown called H20 (Home Radio Easy 20) every Saturday from 11am-1pm which will focus on the top 20 easy listening hits. In addition to that, it even has daily programs, Emotions in Motion, a daily version of Solid Gold Sunday, albeit with a newer timeline, focusing on the 80s and 90s love songs, and Morning Melodies, which focuses more on acoustics. As of this writing, Home Radio is manned by 5 DJs (Daryl, Alex, Braggy via The Braggy Brunch Show which is the right mix of easy listening and variety hits infused in the playlist from past and present, Migz with a Z via Home Run with Migz with a Z and Chad via Homestretch with Chad) who used to be part of the Top 40 era. Plus, the return of Home Radio female DJs led by Toni, Jamie (via a love advice program Dear Jamie which will air from Monday to Friday and Sunday 9pm-12mn) and Geri (via Wake Up Weekends with Geri, Saturday and Sunday 6am-9am), and a brand new DJs of Home Radio such as Jason on the Radio (via The Couch with Jason on the Radio), John Journey (via Moonlight Overnight with John Journey) and Harry (via It's Complicated with Harry) since the return on July 3, 2017, as it follow the less talk-more music rule. MY VIEWPOINTS After 3 years of experimenting with different formats, from Masa to Top 40, the management decided to go back to Soft AC format because they thought it’d sell better. (It took me some time to find out the reason) And it did. However, a lot of listeners from Home Radio’s Top 40 era were disappointed with its abrupt reformat. And so was I, although I didn’t listen to it much. It reminds me of Campus’ abrupt dismissal when it used to be on 99.5 back in 2008. And they even called its Easy Listening format as a trash, even if it really isn’t, since the music is kinda good. Those scumbags should be thankful it didn’t go back to its Masa format. They should’ve known that Home Radio is known for its Easy Listening format. When Braggy (who used to be with Campus Radio) took over as Home Radio’s station manager, he sort of brought back the spirit of Campus Radio in some way. In my opinion, some of its programs have their resemblance. H20 and Aircheck 979 sort of resemble of Top 20@12 and Campus Radio Aircheck respectively. Since the reformat, Braggy has a different take on Home Radio’s Easy Listening format, which isn’t the one we’re familiar with. It looks like Home Radio is slowly getting back on track. So, I wish them luck on its new old format. 'FM hubs in Mega Manila, according to their formats and genres, and according to my views:' :Top 40/CHR (English): :87.5 FM1, Magic 89.9, Monster RX 93.1, 99.5 Play FM, 101.1 Yes The Best, Q Radio 105.1, 107.9 Hit FM (the Top 40/pop radio format of RPN Radio) = 7 :Middle-of the-Road/OPM (Contemporary MOR): :90.7 Love Radio, 93.9 iFM, Barangay LS 97.1, MOR 101.9, 102.7 Star FM, 106.7 Energy FM = 6 :Easy listening (with Soft AC) (English): :96.3 Easy Rock, 979 Home Radio = 2 :AC format (English): :Z100, 103.5 K-Lite = 2 :News/talk format: :90.3 Radyo Bandera News FM, Radyo5 92.3 News FM, 104.7 Brigada News FM = 3 :OPM format: :95.5 Pinas FM = 1 :Adult Top 40 format (with Hot AC and easy listening) (English): :Mellow 947 = 1 :Adult hits format (English): :Wish 107.5 = 1 :Classic hits format (English): :104.3 FM2, 105.9 Neo Retro = 2 :The latest and the greatest hits format (English): :RJ100 = 1 :Classical format (English): :98.7 DZFE The Master's Touch = 1 :Modern rock format (with alternative rock and indie music) (English): :Jam 88.3 = 1 :Dance format (English and Filipino): :89 DMZ = 1 :Urban format (urban/rhythmic contemporary) (English): :Wave 91.5 = 1 :Campus radio (college radio): :Radyo Katipunan 87.9 = 1 :Chinese community radio: :Radio Manila 99.9 = 1 'These stations that plays K-pop songs in Metro Manila:' :89 DMZ Manila :90.7 Love Radio Manila :iFM 93.9 Manila :96.3 Easy Rock Manila (Catch 22 Pilipinas only) :Barangay LS 97.1 :101.1 Yes The Best Manila :MOR 101.9 For Life :102.7 Star FM Manila :104.7 Brigada News FM National :106.7 Energy FM :107.9 Win Radio Manila